


What's a little felony in the name of love.

by Michaelssw0rd



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Awkward Flirting, F/F, Femslash February, Fluff, here's to hoping it's not entirely awful, wow look at me writing f/f for the first time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-26 07:01:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9872669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Michaelssw0rd/pseuds/Michaelssw0rd
Summary: Written for the prompt: "AU where Shaw is a cop and Root keeps getting herself arrested to flirt with the attractive beat cop. Bonus points if Reese and Carter are partners working in the same precinct and have a bet going with Finch, the captain, on who will ask who out first."





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [talkingtothesky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/talkingtothesky/gifts).



> From the AU prompt 1 of [this](http://talking2thesky.tumblr.com/post/157543977003/shoot-week-prompts) post. Sky as usual is inspiring as heck, even when she's not trying, so this is for her.  
> I am also gonna have to thank [xLostLenore](http://archiveofourown.org/users/xLostLenore) here for encouraging me to try out this new thing anyway, despite being scared as hell of messing up.  
> Here goes nothing.

Detective Joss Carter snaps the handcuffs around Root’s wrists, binding them at her front, tightening them to a side of too much. She flinches and looks at her in disdain, mouthing an “ _Ow,_ ” and then smiling brightly.

Carter turns to the shopkeeper to thank him for his assistance. The man who made the call is in his early twenties and looks bewildered.

“Thank you. NYPD will take it from here,” she tries to get over it quickly.

“I…” he looks confused and Joss sympathizes, but she wishes she doesn’t have to go through it… again. “I don’t understand.”

“Don’t worry about it.” She motions Root to follow her, trying to hurry out.

“Wait Detective,” he calls out and Joss sighs. Next time, she won’t let Reese get out of this by offering to do her paperwork. Paperwork is much preferable over this. This is torture.

“Yes.” She looks at him, knowing what is coming and waiting for him to finish it quickly.

“She.” He looks at Root, catches her with a sweet indulgent expression on her face and flusters, “She picked up ten cases of mobiles in plain sight. She wasn’t even carrying a bag to hide then in. And then winked at the camera,” he whispers, bending closer to Carter. She rubs the bridge of her nose and closes her eyes.

“Anything else?”

“I mean why would she do that? It’s like she meant to get caught.” Root obviously overhears it and chuckles. Carter throws her an annoyed look. “And then, she lingered outside, waiting for me to inform the guards to secure her.” He fidgets, as if thinking Carter might call him delusional. She wishes she could.

“Don’t think too much about it kid.” Carter pats him on the back, “Sometimes it’s better to let things go.”

“She even gave me the number to your precinct, instructing me to call you,” he wails, running his fingers through his hair. He doesn’t look like he needs an answer though, so Carter nods at him one last time, and leave him baffled as she grabs Root’s arm and drags her out.

Once out of the door, Root corrects herself and pulls her arm back. “No need to be so rough Joss. Not that I mind a little manhandling, but you’re not my type.” She winks, and Carter rolls her eyes, letting her walk by herself towards the parking lot.

“Of course I am not.” She mutters under her breath.

“Speaking of types… She was busy? I have to say, I am a little disappointed.”

“NYPD has actually criminals to catch. They aren’t just sitting there waiting for you to have another one of your whims.” Carter bites out. The paperwork for this was going to suck.

“Jocelyn,” Root stops in her track, looking offended. “Are you calling me a fake criminal?”

Carter doesn’t consider that worthy of answer as she opens the back door for Root to get in, who does it obediently, and she climbs into the car to drive to the precinct. Predictably, it’s not far away. Root knows what she is doing.

She wishes that at least she won’t boast about it, but instead the wanna-be-thief in the back seat is giving her completely unsolicited commentary on the details of her plan, and which mobiles did she choose and how pretty they were, and how she is a little upset she had to give them back. And more alarmingly, how she is thinking of trying her hand at a diamond store next time.

“You know, if you want to impress her, failing at crimes is not the way to go about it.” Carter can’t resist commenting in the end.

“Huh.” Root relaxes back, as if considering her point. “You think succeeding at them would be more impressive? I have to say it would be easier. You would not believe how hard it is to make people notice I am doing something wrong. Must be something about my face…”

“No!” Joss interjects, because that’s not what she meant.

“Thank you though. I will keep it in mind next time. But wait… doesn’t encouraging people to commit felonies go against your moral code?”

“I am not encouraging you to steal stuff.”

“Sounded that way to me,” She says cheerfully, and Joss grinds her teeth.

This is so not her problem.

She all but drags Root inside the precinct, skipping the holding cells and going straight towards the table at the corner. The plate lying on it says “Detective Sameen Shaw”.

She dumps the handcuffed woman onto the unoccupied seat and clears her throat. Detective Shaw, who is clearly engrossed in studying the file in front of her, startles.

She looks up at Joss, and notices her bemused face. There is a familiar look of resignation on her face as she follows the direction of Joss’s gaze.

“Hello Sameen.” Root tilts her head a little, grinning broadly, her eyes twinkling.

Shaw groans.

“Again?” She meets Carter’s eyes.

“Again.” Carter nods solemnly. “A mobile store this time.”

Shaw groans again.

“Sweetie. I am feeling a little ignored here,” Root interjects, and Shaw just gives her an angry glance that’s meant to convey _‘Shut up,_ ’ but which Root takes as encouragement. “That’s better.”

“Don’t you speak a word,” Shaw threatens.

“I love it when you give me orders.” Root’s smile widens, and Carter feels vaguely nauseated.

“Why are you even here again?” Shaw sighs, obviously giving up.

“Why? Because I missed you Sameen.” Root bends forward a little, as if confessing a secret. “It’s been two weeks.”

“You know you’re crazy right? There is a thing called telephone. I am sure you know how to use one.” Shaw withdraws from the table, leaning back into her chair, and staring.

“Maybe. But what’s the fun in that.” Root relaxes in her own place, staring back.

Detective Carter beholds what the department has come to call “The Eye Fucking” with the capital letters. This has been going on for months. There’s a betting pool about who is going to snap first and make a move. Personally, Carter has placed her bet on Root because she seems more forward, and Shaw usually looks torn between kissing her and punching her, but it’s a close call.

Finding them engrossed in each other, she looks at her own desk and sees Reese pass her a sympathetic smile before hastily turning back to work. _Coward_!

Deciding this was so over her paygrade, she turns around.

“Wait, wait. Joss. Where are you going?” Shaw seems to have finally snapped out of her trance.

“To do my job!”

“You arrested her! You can’t just dump her on me like this.”

“I can. This is so not my headache.”

“Please Joss. I am elbow deep in this homicide. I don’t have time for this.”

“Neither do I. She is your stalker. You deal with her.”

They both stare at each other, Shaw pleading, and Joss folding her arms across her chest.

“Honey,” Root cuts in, and they both turn around to glare at the problem, “I robbed a store for you. Least you can do is arrest me yourself.”

“Shut up Root. I honestly don’t have time to deal with your drama.”

“Maybe you need a little stress relief,” She raises both of her handcuffed hands and twirls a strand of hair around one of her fingers, “I can think of ways of providing some.”

Shaw stands up and looks close to committing violence. Before Joss can interject, John magically materializes at the table.

“Something wrong Shaw?” he asks, even though he’s bound to be fully aware of the situation.

Shaw stares at him for a bit, and Joss doesn’t know what they communicate through their expressions but suddenly Shaw deflates. They always communicated nonverbally. If Joss didn’t know any better, she would’ve pegged them as long lost siblings.

“Your girlfriend giving you trouble?” John’s lips quirk a little, teasing.

“Not my girlfriend. Asshole.” Shaw retorts halfhearted.

“Not because of lack of trying on my part.” Root winks blatantly again. Frankly, Joss doesn’t know why they are still playing this game. “I don’t know whether to thank the big lug for saving me, or be disappointed that he deprived me of some… physical contact.”

John makes a disgusted face, and Joss knows her own expressions mimics his. Shaw rubs her hand on her face, exasperated.

“Root. I swear I really hate you some days.”

“Aha,” Root settles back, victorious, “It means there are days when you don’t hate me. I will take that.”

Shaw’s face does this complicated thing which is half fond amusement and half pure frustration, but before she can answer, they hear a clearing of throat from behind them.

_Uh-oh._

Carter turns slowly, dreading the raised eyebrows. Sure enough, Captain Harold Finch is standing there, looking extremely disappointed. They all lower their head, except Root, who settles into her chair exaggeratedly, and waits.

“What is the cause for all the commotion here?” Finch looks at each of them individually, making them cower by the weight of his displeasure. Then his eyes settle on Root.

“Ah. I see. Miss Groves have seen fit to commit another halfhearted felony.” He minces the words, but Carter isn’t sure if she is imagining the amusement hiding behind his mask.

“Hello Harry!” Root waves at him with both her hands, showing off the cuffs.

“This is NYPD. I expected better of you guys. If you have time to waste doing meaningless chit-chat and gossip, maybe you can work on filing your paperwork on time,” he reprimands. Carter hates it when Finch talks like this. She feels like a child being chastised.

“And Mr. Reese, I hoped you would be beyond these things.” John looks like a kicked puppy. He always takes Harold’s criticism the worst.

“But Finch…” He tries to explain himself, sounding hurt.

“No buts. Get back to your stations.” He orders, but before they can move, he continues, “And Miss. Shaw. Please ask Miss Groves out on a date. NYPD already has enough work on its hands even without having someone commit fake crimes just to court one of my detectives.” Then he honest to God smirks, right in front of Joss’s eyes, before turning away.

All of them gape at him, not believing what they heard. Then Root cackles.

“You know what they say right?” she starts, triumphant, “Captain’s orders.”

Shaw grunts. “If I ask you out, would you stop robbing shops?”

“Pinky promise.” Root even holds out the pinky of her left hand, making Shaw huff.

“Okay then.” Shaw compromises, but Carter has known her long enough now to realize she is hiding a smile.

“Six o’clock tomorrow evening?” Root asks, matter of fact.

“Six o’clock.” Shaw nods.

“Brilliant.” Root bites her lip, before extending her handcuffed hands pleadingly, “Now, if you would please remove these…”

“You did cause disturbance, I am tempted to leave them on.”

Root bends forward and says in a conspiratorial whisper that Carter wishes she couldn’t hear, “If you fancy them so much, you can bring them tomorrow. I like these sort of things.”

Carter looks at John and they both unanimously decide to walk away from this. Both were already scarred enough if the look on Reese’s face is anything to go by.

She situates herself on her chair, with John leaning against the table, facing away from Shaw’s table where Joss can see Sameen taking off the cuffs in a way that’s disturbingly intimate. Suddenly she groans.

“What?” John asks, concerned.

“I just lost the bet.” She admits, defeated.

“Ah.”

“You bet on Sameen?” She asks, curious.

John nods.

Something occurs to her then.

“Do you think the Captain knew about the bet?”

“Uh,” now John looks shifty and her eyes widen.

“You mean Harold not only knew about the bet, he was also a part of it?”

John looks both sheepish and vaguely impressed as he nods again.

“That bastard!” Joss curses halfheartedly, as she stares at the closed door of Captain’s office.

She shares a look with John, before darting a quick, careful glance at the mating dance of Shaw and Root, and then back at the closed door. She relaxes into her chair and sighs, and then starts laughing.

Her precinct might be a lot of things, but one thing was for sure: nobody could call it boring.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think?


End file.
